'Vibrant and immersive - it captures brilliantly the fragile confidence that lies at the heart of youth culture.' RONAN HESSION.
'Curran animates the precise, minute-to-minute oscillation between triumph and catastrophe that is adolescence. All the embarrassments, missteps, bluffs, and vulnerabilities of youth are here. And all the yearning too. He captures the voices of a diverse young Ireland, harried by racism, exploitation, and lack of opportunity, battling with itself for itself. His great skill is to carry us along so completely and so confidently, and his affection for his characters is infectious. I'm hoping against hope that these kids will be alright. It could go either way.' KEITH RIDGWAY
'An atmospheric, immersive novel, Youth is more than painstakingly faithful to its location - it's faithful to the real-life experiences represented by its characters ... The obvious comparison is with Roddy Doyle's Barrytown novels, yet the style of Youth reminded me more of reading Irvine Welsh for the first time 30 years ago, and giving myself up to its language and rhythms, ready to go wherever it was taking me. Youth's multi-narrative style lends itself perfectly to the audiobook. ... It is an exceptional novel, joyous and hopeful. For all the divisive, anxiety-plagued reality of social media saturation, Youth champions solidarity and compassion.' HENRIETTA MCKERVEY, IRISH TIMES
'The affection the author feels for the setting and the characters of this book is palpable off the page and it serves to draw the reader in until you are completely engrossed. We are guided up Main Street and into the chip shops and alleyways where our protagonists take refuge in such caring attention to detail that you are lulled into thinking you have always known the place.'
LEO CALLANAN, TN2 MAGAZINE 'A compelling exploration of teen life, race and multiculturalism [with] four fascinating lead characters ... It feels about time that a book like
Youth was written. It addresses some of the most important issues facing Irish society.'
PAUL NOLAN, HOT PRESS 'Hugely sympathetic characters that have you wishing them on at every page turn. I read it in three sittings. Gripping.' AMAZON CUSTOMER
'Kevin Curran's twenty-first century ... is a thrilling dispatch from life lived amid the ruins of idealism.' ROB DOYLE
'Kevin Curran ... [writes] with confidence and brio.' COLIN BARRETT
'The isolation of whole communities can be glimpsed through stories of marginalised individuals. Kevin Curran exemplifies this idea.' SALLY ROONEY
'[Curran has] some big things to say about Ireland, past and present.' THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST
'Brings an edge of hard-won resolve to his tale while keeping mindful of broader social issues.' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
'A vivid and memorable portrait of a new emerging city from a gifted and committed writer.' KEVIN BARRY
'Cocky, funny, complex, vulnerable - the kids in Youth deserve to be treated with seriousness, compassion and focus. And that is exactly what Curran does with such energy and confidence in this vibrant, important novel.' WENDY ERSKINE
'Youth is current. It's Here and Now! You feel the language of Youth in your very pulse.' MELATU UCHE OKORIE
'Youth is a tour de force. A vital novel that embraces the tender vulnerability and brutality of adolescence. Curran vividly captures the lives of Irish young people trying to figure out who they are and what they want with evocative and edgy prose. Stunning. A must read.' OLIVIA FITZSIMONS
'[Youth] is chilling, but invigorating ... so loudly and vulnerably alive. ... [The characters] speak Engl